University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2014 The Negative Impact of TRIPS on Gender Rights in Access to Health and Food in India: A Study of the Dynamics of Knowledge Economy and Neo-Medieval Governance Kausiki Mukhopadhyay University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Asian Studies Commons, and the Economic Policy Commons Recommended Citation Mukhopadhyay, Kausiki, "The Negative Impact of TRIPS on Gender Rights in Access to Health and Food in India: A Study of the Dynamics of Knowledge Economy and Neo-Medieval Governance" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 460. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/460 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF TRIPS ON GENDER RIGHTS IN ACCESS TO HEALTH AND FOOD IN INDIA: A STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND NEO-MEDIEVAL GOVERNANCE __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Kausiki Mukhopadhyay June 2014 Advisor: Jack Donnelly ©Copyright by Kausiki Mukhopadhyay 2014 All Rights Reserved Author: Kausiki Mukhopadhyay Title: THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF TRIPS ON GENDER RIGHTS IN ACCESS TO HEALTH AND FOOD IN INDIA: A STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND NEO-MEDIEVAL GOVERNANCE Advisor: Jack Donnelly Degree Date: June 2014 ABSTRACT Southern developing nations are increasingly emulating the knowledge economy followed by the developed nations of the North. This paradigm is characterized by the signature feature of the regime of TRIPS or individualized legal patents, particularly bio- patents developed through biotechnology in pharmaceutical and agriculture. It is also characterized by corporate social responsibility as a market mode of governance of development and increasing state retrenchment from delivery of public welfare. This form of economy is embedded in multilayered governance of neo-medieval governance where states and corporations tussle for the right to define growth and equity. This thesis argues that such a mode of economy and governance has failed to deliver equity for the marginalized poor women in India. This is explicated through four critical factors. First, there is increasing biopiracy of tribal women’s traditional knowledge and denuding of uncodified knowledge of tribal women due to land deprivation which in turn severely affects their health. Second, a thriving pharmaceutical sector has failed to deliver health equity for poor women, particularly by being engaged in creation of medicines that do not have relevance for the main disease profile of the poor – communicable diseases. Third, there is rise of non-communicable diseases of the poor. Patents act as legal barriers to access to medicine and severely impact the health of the poor. Fourth, the rise of Bt ii seeds in cash crop agriculture has meant that traditionally saved and used food crop seeds are being marginalized and there is a growing agrarian crisis for women who do not have control over land, seeds and seed technology. Fifth, poverty is on the rise which is a sure sign that equity has not trickled down. If the international society of states provides for customized patents for women’s traditional knowledge, women’s knowledge, health and food security would be better secured. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank my advisor Professor Jack Donnelly for mentoring me throughout the dissertation process. I also thank my committee members, Professors Haider Khan and Dale Rothman, for their helpful comments and Susan Rivera for putting up with me. Finally, I express my gratitude to my husband Professor Pallab Paul for being there while I worked on my dissertation. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................1 The Rationale for Figure 1 and 2......................................................................................2 Figure 1 ..........................................................................................................................11 Figure 2 ..........................................................................................................................12 The Model (Figure 3) .....................................................................................................13 Natural and Social Capital ..........................................................................................13 Macro ..........................................................................................................................14 Mezzo .........................................................................................................................15 Micro ..........................................................................................................................17 Figure 3 ..........................................................................................................................24 Gender Issues in the Context of India ............................................................................25 Knowledge Economy .....................................................................................................29 Neo-medieval Governance .............................................................................................33 So What Kind of State is the Indian State? ...................................................................37 Corporate Social Responsibility .....................................................................................43 Biotechnology: The Contested Realm of Investment, Patents and Human Rights ........44 Feminist Critique of IPR ................................................................................................46 How to Proceed in Executing the Study .........................................................................50 Figure 4 – Map of India ..................................................................................................58 Structures of Following Chapters ...................................................................................59 CHAPTER TWO: FOLK VERSION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ............61 Introduction ....................................................................................................................61 Store of Health Knowledge in Maharashtra ...................................................................69 Store of Health Knowledge in West Bengal ..................................................................73 Neo-medieval Governance of Biology and Biopiracy in India ......................................79 Neo-medieval Governance of Forest Land ....................................................................84 Health Welfare of Tribes in India.................................................................................101 Health Welfare of Tribes in Maharashtra .....................................................................106 Health Welfare of Tribes in West Bengal ....................................................................111 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................115 CHAPTER THREE: CODIFIED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TRADITIONAL AND MODERN MEDICINE AND HEALTH IN INDIA ..........................................117 Introduction ..................................................................................................................117 Growth of the Indian System of Medicine ...................................................................122 v Growth in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Sectors ................................................130 Health Costs of the Poor ...............................................................................................142 Women’s Health in India .............................................................................................149 Neo-medieval Governance of Neglected and Neglected Tropical Diseases ................160 Governance of Neglected Diseases ..........................................................................161 Governance of Neglected Tropical Diseases ............................................................169 Problematic Behavior of Corporations and States ....................................................175 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................179 Appendix ......................................................................................................................186 CHAPTER FOUR: TRADITIONAL AND MODERN KNOWLEDGE OF SEEDS IN AGRICULTURE ......................................................................................................205 Introduction ..................................................................................................................205 Women, Land, Seeds and Technology .........................................................................206 Land ..........................................................................................................................208